


Luthor's Will

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Smallville, Superman (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark finds a large amount of money suddenly appears in his account and decides to investigate.  I tried to write this one more in keeping with the Superman novels, they have a very clear tone, I think I got it towards the beginning, and then lost it, it's a little too fluffy I feel, but good enough for a first try. I hope you enjoy it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Luthor's Will

I don’t know if it would have been more or less surprising, certainly more romantic if he’d shown up on my doorstep with 12 red roses, however it certainly meant something when on a bright spring Tuesday morning when I opened my bank account to see it increased 10 fold. The numbers sat there on my cyber doorstep, no note or simply identifiable significance. However there aren’t that many people with that much money. I’d been a little twitchy and suspicious all month. Lex Luthor had broken out of prison, again, not two months back, but to the surprise of most, not to resurface, yet. As Superman that meant an immanent threat. Luthor was obviously planning out of sight, however a new long set of zeros on my bank account didn’t explain new mastermind plans. I usually let Luthor come to me, he always does one way or another, and it’s less effort and more likely to be on my own high ground if I wait long enough. Now however I had a reason to seek him out. 

Even as a superhero it can be a sizable amount of work to track down a single individual. The proverbial needle in a haystack: but even worse when that bald, purple-wearing, needle was an expert in subterfuge. I was unsurprised to finally track Luthor down at a lab, but when his name shoed up on the patients list I paused. Luthor hid, but disguise was not his specialty, he was always too much himself. I on the other hand am a disguise expert. I went to see a doctor about a man. Imagine my shock to be told the lab was truly as it appeared: a medical lab, Luthor corp yes, but not a nefarious plot, and Luthor a real patient. It was a Luthor corp facility with the best doctors to be had, and private, Luthor would have it no other way. I decided to pay him a visit. After locating his room I stripped down to my superman suit and borrowed a lab jacket. Luthor’s room was empty, save for the large bed and few monitors clustered around it. He looked almost fragile, translucent skin, blue veins, and large egg-like head against cotton sheets pale as he was. He seemed surprised to see me.   
“Come to gawk?” he recovered quickly.   
“What are you doing here Luthor?” I asked genuinely curious.  
“Dying in peace, and out of jail, although I suppose now you’re here I’ll have to come up with some ingenious escape plan. Why are you here, I figured you’d be the last person to see me. Good riddance and I haven’t tormented the city in three months.” He smirked.   
“Dying?”  
 “That’s what they tell me. Certainly feels like it on the bad days, be glad it’s a good day. How’d you know where to find me? My circumstances that common knowledge?”   
“Clark Kent told me about his accounts. I figured something must be up.”  
 “Ah, the Clark connection. Trust your friend Clark to follow up a simple gift. Well, he can’t return this one. My will is being executed as I speak. I won’t die till it’s all settled. Funny that you can do that, but of course with a family like mine you’d have to or none of your wishes would be honored.”   
“You willed your money to Clark Kent? Why?”   
“Not all, some stays with the company, some goes to the Daily Planet for all their years of dogging me, they should have compensation for all the stories they wont get to run when I’m no longer around to provide news. Some goes to a scholarship foundation at Met U, have to keep up the philanthropic gentleman appearance. But the rest, yes all that goes to Mr. Kent. Why? Call it a dead man’s dying fancy. Some good, an un-refuse-able gift, a message, all are true, pointless. I don’t do many pointless things.”   
“A message?” Superman asked perplexed, “of what?”   
“Ah, you see Superman. I’ve essentially made him my heir. They say friends are one’s chosen family. At least I’ll die with the best, mine certainly doesn’t deserve it. Wouldn’t you say?” Superman stood silent. “What, disapprove? Think I’m soft in my illness?”  
 “No.” he said softly. “Surprised, even after all those years. You forgive him? See him as a friend, family even?”   
“No I see him as a cabbage. What do you think you great blue dolt.”  
 “Do…you want me to tell Clark for you?”  
 “No, don’t bother. He shouldn’t care. If he doesn’t get it, it doesn’t matter.” Superman nodded slowly, not fully comprehending.   
“So, how long…?”  
 “My estimated time of departure. Weeks, if I’m lucky, months. Maybe till Christmas. My mother died at Christmas. You know, Superman, for hating each other so much, we’re awfully good at small talk. Don’t you have a kitten up a tree somewhere to save? The world doesn’t need you consoling Lex Luthor, as much as it does for my ego. Out!” Lex waved a dismissive hand. Superman stood, nodded and left as he’d come.

Clark Kent sat at the table of his three room apartment. The table spanned the space between the living and dinning room with the kitchen. A sort of limbo between food prep and community space where the eating occurred. Currently eating implied crap teriyaki, but Lois had been busy and not paying attention to the finer things. Sometimes it paid to be super, especially when it came to Lois’ neglected meals and his digestive tract.   
“So” Lois pointed a mean chopstick at his chest, “he just gave you all his money,”   
“Not quite all” Clark hedged, why he’d thought to ask Lois was beyond him, but she was his partner and so thought of Lex nearly as often as he did, more than once a month, not including jailbreaks.   
“He gave some to charity.”   
“A budding philanthropist. He must be really kicking at buckets. You know they say dieing men start to think heaven, hell, and their legacy, so they reform. That’s why near death experiences never work. They don’t die so they take it all back.”   
“I think he’s telling the truth. I don’t know why he’s changing, but maybe you’re right. But what should I do?”  
 “Whatever you want. He can make his choices, you yours. Though for the amount you talk about him you might as well visit him and get it over with, or you’ll want to and regret it.” Lois stabbed a piece of chicken and Clark said nothing, she was probably right. He, Clark Kent, should visit Lex Luthor.

Clark followed the doctor back to Lex’s room. It was the same as when he left it yesterday.   
“You’ve a visitor Mr. Luthor.” said the nurse. Clark walked over to Lex’s bedside. The other man smiled warmly, gently.   
“I heard form your friend that you discovered your inheritance.”  
 “Thank you.” Clark offered. Lex sighed.   
“At least I tried. So the mud-raking, found a new target yet?”  
 “There’s always those.”   
“Replaceable. Well, just goes to show. Want my last interview, a chance at one more zero digit on those billions. You’re the only one I’ll give an interview to.”   
“Why me Lex?”   
“Ha. Why? Destiny, fate, call it whimsy.”   
“Is that really it?”  
 “Could I spell it out any clearer? What do you need? A dozen roses and a red paper heart that says “I care”? Do you see any cards, flowers? I’ve been here a month. You’re the one person who sought me out. That should give you your answer.” Lex sighed, toying with the hem of his sheet.  
 “The answer?” Clark wasn't sure if he was being willingly obtuse, it was just...even hearing Lex’s comments as Superman, and now... Why now? How many times wouldn’t it have changed things? Did it take death to make everything more and less difficult? Certainly near demise would put things in perspective, but did Lex have to go and make it harder? Of course thoughts like that were cruel, to Lex as well as to himself. Clark glared at the railings on the bed, reminding himself that setting things on fire wasn’t the proper way to work out anger or frustration.   
“You…care?” Clark cleared his throat, clarifying.   
“If wanting to invite you for Christmas with my family isn’t what you want from me, then maybe New Years, or a life time, of course the issue with that I clearly don’t have a lifetime to give you, so I figured my financial accounts will settle it. You’ve had my life for years, of course you wouldn’t notice. I think I used to worry your friends and family. They were right of course, but not necessarily for the right reasons.” Lex tossed his head, in that mock smile, his eyes piercing Clark “feel free to reinterpret this in a way that will work for your psyche, but please know exactly what I’m saying. I love you. Clear? Now feel free to leave whenever the sight of my poor bed-ridden self bores you. I’m sure you’ve got great stories to report. Unless you want an interview.” Lex settled back into his pillows with all the regal-ness that Lex commanded an army full. Clark realized he was holding his breath. This was like, and entirely unlike, Lex, and now Clark had a handful of facts and no idea what to do with them.   
“You’re dying.” Lex stared at him incredulously. “And you love me.” Clark tested the words on his tongue, like the two statements should nullify each other, not be linked. “You have the worst timing.” Clark sighed, running a hand over his face and collapsing into the chair beside Lex’s hospital bed.   
“The best, actually, I’m always in the worst place at the right time. I hit you didn’t I.”   
“And there’s been a world of trouble since. How long…”  
 “Right from the start, of course you’re blind as a bat, I was unsurprised when you finally made the leap to glasses, you couldn’t see through glass, at least not when it comes to people. Or maybe it’s just me?”   
“I think it’s probably just you.” Clark whispered. He really looked at Lex now. His face was open, like it had been all those years ago, Clark wondered when the change had come, how they’d gone from friends to mere acquaintances the distance of lies and all those little experiences, that came with life, unexplained and with a lack of communication and trust left a gaping hole. That’s where Clark had shoved his feelings. He had always been blind to what was right in front of him, Chloe and Lana and Lex. They’d all cared at one time or another but Clark had always been hankering off in the wrong direction. By the time Clark had noticed the gap to Lex, he convinced himself he didn’t care. Lex was another Luthor: after secrets, after science. That had been true, but it hadn’t been the full truth and Clark supposed his sleeplessness and headaches not to mention the questions from friends and the school councilor about depression might have been a better tip off. Clark’s always been best at lying to himself, better than lying to other people at least. Now Lex has laid bare a question he’s not really wanted to contemplate. He can’t look at Lex.   
“You always mess up my life, you know that. I think everything’s fine, put in its place, I’m settled and then you throw a curve ball.”  
 “I’m sorry?” Lex seemed bemused, though genuinely apologetic.   
“Don’t be, I just have to have my life altering experience here and figure out what the hell to do.”   
“Can a life altering experience involve kissing? I know it sounds far fetched, but dying wishes and all that.” Lex offered sweetly. Clark couldn’t glare, he just stared at Lex’s face, tilted up too him and almost smiling. It hit like a punch to the gut, his best friend, his once crush who apparently loved him, his arch-nemisis and most interesting opponent was dying, what was Superman to do in a world without Lex Luthor? Without evil to thwart would he die of boredom. Without all the minor good things Lex did to keep him guessing, who would fund the nefarious children’s health care center that would cure some rare disease by means of unethical treatments? Who would fund the underbelly of black science to save the world in the ways that Superman couldn’t? And who would Clark Kent be without Lex Luthor to grouse about and pester at press conferences? Life without Lex, it seemed a very drear prospect.   
“Lex I…”   
“Fine, no kissing, I wasn’t really suggesting it, just wishing.”  
 “Lex.” Clark said firmly, authoritatively as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Lex’s mouth. Clark withdrew, a faint smile tinged Lex’s lips, almost rueful.   
“Well, now I can die happy. Thanks Clark. I’m sure you’ll figure it out and be fine. I’m glad I told you though. Give my regards to the Daily Planet.”  
 “I’m not leaving.” Clark stated, “and you’re not dying.” Lex quirked a not existent brow.  
 “I’m not am I, well that’s news too me. How pray tell do you know this, wishful thinking doesn’t work and the last I checked kissing only wakes sleeping princesses or turns frogs into princes. As I’m neither female nor a frog, you may have some issues.”  
“Lex, I never told you the truth.” Lex cocked his head to the side, the brow staying up in a slight wrinkle of his forehead.   
“Does my immenent not-death suddenly spur you to honesty? Really, I’ve given up, no need for that sort of charity, there’s nothing I could do with the knowledge, you’ll just make me sad of all the science I’m missing. I have a good guess you know. And if I’m truly not dying you wouldn’t tell me because then I’ll know your secret.” Clark shook his head.   
“I’m an alien. When your father was making those serums that might cure him. That was from my blood. Lex, if my blood could have potentially saved your father, maybe it could save you.” Lex gaped at him for a moment before smiling widely.   
“Well at least I’ll die knowing I was correct in some guesses. Clark really, you don’t have to do that. To use your blood you’d have to tell more than just me, my doctors and the whole team of lab techs, really it would be like calling in alien hunting season. There’d be nothing left of you by the time the cure got to me.”  
 “I know, that’s why I wont be the one supplying the blood.”  
 “Who then?”   
“Superman.”  
Lex’s eyes lit up. Clark could almost see the light bulb going off over his head. “I knew it, well I had guessed you were related, family, but he’s you isn’t it. That makes so much make sense. You’re a right bastard you know.” Lex was down right jolly. Clark couldn’t help laughing himself.   
“Well, Superman’s the great savior; they won’t dare take him apart, public opinion and all that. And you know what they say about near death experiences.”  
 “They do tend to change a man. So are we going in for a plan?”   
“I think saving a reformed Lex Luthor is a worthy job. Of course I’ll have to monitor you closely for the rest of your life so you don’t slide back into your dastardly ways.”  
 “By monitoring you wouldn’t mean living with and maybe legally bonded to? I do suppose it’s a bit early to propose, seeing as I’m still dying, you’re an alien and we don't really know each other, but you see I feel we do in the ways that matter, and we’ve been dating for the past few years, even if I do regret nuclear weapons and smart bombs being the general date gifts as opposed to chocolates. I do suppose you’d rather flowers than nefarious plans and ingenious machines.”   
“Ingenious machines are fine, just as long as they’re not killing people. Don't worry, we’ll work it out.” Clark smiled. Lex smiled. Clark squeezed Lex’s hand and then with a grin ripped off his shirt to Lex’s startled and delighted laughter. He folded his civilian clothes and posed playfully in his Superman attire.  
 “You really are a Big Blue Boyscout. Always prepared. Go get em hotpants.” Clark snickered and went off to see a doctor about an alien and a cure.


End file.
